PRoud and fabulous: The career experiences of gay male public relations practitioners in Canada

Abstract

Despite the increasing focus on understanding diverse groups of public relations practitioners, there is a portion of the public relations sector, those with diverse backgrounds, that has not seen much recognition in terms of academic research on marginalized groups – specifically the gay community. This qualitative study examines the career experiences of 19 gay men working in public relations in Canada. In-depth interviews were used to allow participants to discuss their careers openly. Practitioners felt they could be themselves in their workplace, had equal opportunities for advancement, and in many cases, felt that being gay was an advantage. While a similar study was completed in 2012 in the United States, the results of this study indicate the career experiences of gay public relations practitioners in Canada is considerably more inclusive than their American counterparts.